A man has been charged with animal cruelty after he allegedly abused and injured a horse in NSW’s Kosciuszko National Park.
Police allege the man repeatedly pulled a tame brumby colt by a rope around its neck.
As the animal struggled to breathe in visible distress, witnesses attempted to stop the 61-year-old man.
After the man refused to let go, the horse fell to the ground unconscious, police said.
The horse was left lame and is believed to have suffered injuries.
A nearby camper filmed the alleged incident and reported it to officers of the Monaro Police District.
Following inquiries, a Tamworth man was charged with committing an act of cruelty and capturing or snaring an animal in a national park.
NSW Police Force State Rural Crime Coordinator, Detective Inspector Cameron Whiteside, said he was was thankful for the bystander who filmed the man's actions.
“We strongly encourage members of the public to report any incident of animal cruelty so those involved can be identified and charged,” he said.
“The footage clearly shows the animal suffered injuries and unfortunately it was not located after the incident so we are not aware of its fate."
READ MORE: Claims Horses Have Been Left To Starve To Death In National Park
The man will appear in Cooma Local Court on February 6.
The Brumbies Of Kosciuszko
Brumbies, or wild horses, are a common sight in Kosciuszko National Park, but controversy around their residency abounds.
In June, a bill passed through NSW state parliament to protect the horses from culling activities under conservation regulations.
The Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Bill 2018 passed despite criticism from environmental organisations -- including the RSPCA, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The organisations argued the legislation put the "heritage value" of these animals -- which were introduced to the national park-- ahead of native species conservation.
READ MORE: 'It's A Park Not A Paddock': Campaign To Buck Kosciuszko Brumby Bill Kicks Off
READ MORE: Government Refuses To Cull Feral Horses Despite Scientific Protest
"The alpine environment's not adapted to large, hard hoofed animals," Invasive Species Council CEO Andrew Cox told 10 daily when the bill passed.
"They're grazing on plants which are, well they're the only place they are in the world and they're impacting on animals which are dependent on some of the wetlands and bogs that are being trampled."
Disturbing vision showing dead and dying horses from starvation along the Snowy River emerged in October. While former Nationals MP Peter Cochran insisted the images were the result of natural process, others said it's the result of the animals outgrowing their food sources in the park.
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Just this month, a group of activists completed a trek from Sydney to the peak of Mt. Kosciuszko in protest of the bill as part of the 'Save Kosci' campaign.
Meanwhile, there was outcry in the state's north this week, as the Defence Department revealed a highly-protested aerial cull of 150 brumbies on the Singleton Army Base went ahead on Wednesday.
Source : https://10daily.com.au/news/crime/a181221xkl/man-allegedly-filmed-abusing-brumby-in-kosciuszko-national-park-20181221?&utm_medium=paid-search&utm_source=10daily&utm_campaign=digital:na&utm_term=google&utm_content=dsa&gclid=CjwKCAjwqdn1BRBREiwAEbZcR-LANPPINjGqRvI_DtiHcl3B8-mBjYReiqcIuCGyvSctACY0w0QJFhoCJx8QAvD_BwE
